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How to wire multiple CFLs

Anti

Sorcerer's Apprentice
Veteran
I'll add this since this thread is devoid of pictures, and pictures seem to help a lot of us. This is from my cab when i was building it two years ago.

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I did the measurement of each bulb's amperage and then I bought a $2 extension cord that was rated to double the combined amperage of my bulbs to ensure against meltdown.

Then I simply cut off the end that you'd use to plug your device in and cut it into segments that were big enough to go from one light to the next. Each light two pieces. One for positive and one for negative.

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It's not grounded. (But neither is the lamp in your living room.)

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.."maybe you think".. is a xmas lamp...:moon:

ok guy..i'm sorry if i post wrong diagrams , i just make fast and not clean and original diagram like freezerboy post ,but i just want help the squekytuba to understand how can make multiple cfl , i agree 100% with freezerboy guy don't hate me...i have multiple cfl in my cab myself made and work very nice...
sure squekytuba better for you follow the freezerboy diagram 6.7 fig. or kayaNOW that show very simple just buy cfl screwed and in lil adaptors ...:wave:
Yes its no problem and thanks for your help. I was not very clear in what my problem was.
 
I'll add this since this thread is devoid of pictures, and pictures seem to help a lot of us. This is from my cab when i was building it two years ago.

picture.php


I did the measurement of each bulb's amperage and then I bought a $2 extension cord that was rated to double the combined amperage of my bulbs to ensure against meltdown.

Then I simply cut off the end that you'd use to plug your device in and cut it into segments that were big enough to go from one light to the next. Each light two pieces. One for positive and one for negative.

picture.php


It's not grounded. (But neither is the lamp in your living room.)

picture.php


picture.php
Is that parralel or series? It looks like there wired by series. Very nice setup by the way it looks very clean
 

FreezerBoy

Was blind but now IC Puckbunny in Training
Veteran
That's series.

Electricity works in a circle or circuit. From the power plant, to your wall socket, to your device, back to the wall socket and back to the power plant. Interrupt that circuit, such as using the on/off switch, and the device wont work.

Series requires the current to go through the lamp, allowing a blown filament to operate as an off switch. One bad lamp kills everything. Parallel allows electricity to go around a burned lamp. So, one burned lamp means one burned lamp, all others stay lit.

It's important to connect black to the button inside the socket and white to the threaded sleeve (thus the color coding on the screws). It's a safety thing.
 

Anti

Sorcerer's Apprentice
Veteran
That's series.

Electricity works in a circle or circuit. From the power plant, to your wall socket, to your device, back to the wall socket and back to the power plant. Interrupt that circuit, such as using the on/off switch, and the device wont work.

Series requires the current to go through the lamp, allowing a blown filament to operate as an off switch. One bad lamp kills everything. Parallel allows electricity to go around a burned lamp. So, one burned lamp means one burned lamp, all others stay lit.

It's important to connect black to the button inside the socket and white to the threaded sleeve (thus the color coding on the screws). It's a safety thing.

Its actually series- parallel. If one bulb blows the others keep on trucking. The parts where the wires attach to the sockets is a metal "t" shape. So when you have the wires connected, the "T" keeps that connection solid, even if the bulb is missing from the socket on the other side.
 
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.."maybe you think".. is a xmas lamp...:moon:

ok guy..i'm sorry if i post wrong diagrams , i just make fast and not clean and original diagram like freezerboy post ,but i just want help the squekytuba to understand how can make multiple cfl , i agree 100% with freezerboy guy don't hate me...i have multiple cfl in my cab myself made and work very nice...
sure squekytuba better for you follow the freezerboy diagram 6.7 fig. or kayaNOW that show very simple just buy cfl screwed and in lil adaptors ...:wave:

No hate or disrespect intended killerweed31, I was just trying to clear things up.

I certainly admit that my post could have been more positve and informative too, like anti's excellent pictures! :tiphat:
 

Bud-Boy

Active member
Veteran
I personally wouldn't run over 200 watts of cfl, but if I did I would use multi-socket bathroom fixtures instead of wiring up that many individual cleats (sockets). .

Works great inside a long green house in between plants to keep them from flowering early

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